Venetian blinds



INVENroR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jo HN PEA/DER Z 4 a a 2 a J. G. FENDER VENETIAN BLINDS AT roRNEYS: 3M,

Filed March 16, 1962 May 4, 1965 May 4, 1965 J. G. PENDER 3,181,595

VENETIAN BLINDS Filed March 16, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

V P JOHN G. PnvoER United States Patent 3,181,595 VENETIAN BLINDS John Gerrit Ponder, Rydalmere, near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to Hunter Douglas International (Quebec) Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Mar. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 180,291 Claims priority, application Australia, Mar. 17, 1961, 2,644/61 4 Claims. (Cl. 160-171) The present invention relates to Venetian blinds and the like.

Prior systems of so-called Venetian blinds are known. It has been found however, that such systems suffer from various disadvantages; for example, large blinds having long slats or long drops must necessarily use a plurality of cords. These are difficult to keep in synchronism and are unsightly and furthermore give rise to difliculties in levelling the bottom rail or bar. In addition, the use of long cords and many sheaves or pulleys, as a consequence of the several changes of direction of the cords, results in heavier operation and additional wear of the moving parts, especially the cords themselves. Also, the cords must possess a certain minimum thickness to facilitate handling, thus increasing their cost. It has also been found inconvenient to use supporting tapes or ladders of the known kind in combination with slats operated by cords passing through slots therein since uch an arrangement cannot be readily dismantled for slat cleaning, slat replacement or other purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other well recognised disadvantages and according to its primary aspect, a principal object is the provision of a head assembly combining unitary tilt control and blind actuating mechanism that may be manually or power operated. Further aspects of the, invention are concerned with means for attaching the ladder tapes to the head control support, attachment of the ladder tapes and/ or blind cords to a bottom rail, design of the ladder tape and slats to render the latter readily removable for cleaning purposes and means for pivotally hanging the head assembly.

In accordance with the aforesaid primary aspect, a head assembly comprising tilt control and blind raising and lowering mechanism basically includes a tape drum, a cord spool and a mounting spindle therefor all embodied in a single unit adapted for association with a section of head tube and for rotatable mounting in a support bracket.

In greater detail, the mentioned single unit may comprise a cylindrical spindle formed with a flat extending [from end to end thereof, an externally threaded cord spool being slidably mounted on said spindle and a tape drum being rotatably supported by and concentric with said cord spool in screw threaded engagement with the latter.

The said tape drum is centrally disposed between a pair of end caps, one of which is non-rotatably secured to each end of said spindle as by means of an attachment screw,

and each cap being formed with an interior socket which is complementary in cross-section to that of said spindle.

The opposite upper ends of a ladder tape are secured, as by means of a spring wire clip, to said tape drum at 'angularly spaced points on opposite sides of a vertical plane coinciding with the axis of said drum and the threads, provided inside said drum for engagement with the exterior threads on said cord spool, extend from one end of said drum to a medial point thereon which coincides with a circumferential slit therein for the passage of a blind lifting and lowering cord which is attached to the corresponding end of the cord spool and is adapted to be wound in the threads of said spool, as same emerge from the threaded portion of the tape drum, during rota- "ice tion of said spool in one direction to raise the blind. During rotation of the spool in the opposite direction, previously wound cord thereon will unwind from said spool to lower the blind from a raised position and simultaneously the cord vacated threads on said spool will re-enter the threaded portion of said tape drum.

A semi-cylindrical cover for the tape drum may be provided for clipped engagement with the rebated inner end of one of said end caps and the similarly rebated inner end of the companion end cap is adapted to be received by a hangar bracket to be described later.

One of the single unit assemblies described above would be associated with each lift cord station of a blind and adjacent unit assemblies, in a series thereof, may conveniently be coupled together by means of a lock-seam type of tube having a smooth outer surface and the lock seam disposed interiorly thereof to constitute a key or spline for engaging complementary longitudinally extending grooves formed on the cylindrical outer face of the end caps of said units. The latter may conveniently be moulded from plastics material which may also be used for the other elements of said units vizthe spindle, the cord spool, the tape drum and the cover for the latter.

According to another aspect of the invention the means for securing the upper tape ends to said tape drum may comprise a clip formed from spring wire, said clip being of generally circular formation to engage in an annular rebate formed on one end of the tape drum, a pair of angularly spaced grooves extending from said rebate longitudinally of the tape drum to accommodate offset ends of said clip, and around which the return bent or folded over ends of the ladder tapes of the blind are engaged. The circular portion of the wire clip may be formed with waves or sinuosities to provide a frictional braking effect between the vertical face of the drum-end rebate and the inner end face of an associated end cap.

In operation, initial rotation of a series of unit assemblies coupled together as above will impart tilt to the blind slats while further rotation thereof will effect raising or lowering of the blind according to the direction of rotation.

The aforesaid rotation may be effected by press button control of a reversible electric motor suitably geared to one of said unit assemblies or such rotation may be effected manually as by an endless cord passing over a sheave having a tapered cord receiving groove and, conveniently, one of said sheaves may be coupled to an end unit assembly by means of a short section of lock-seam tube as referred to above. Alternatively, if only single cord operation of the blind is desired, a torsion spring such as a clock-spring or the like may be attached at one of its ends to the sheave and at its other end to one of the mounting brackets.

The normally outer end of the sheave boss may be reduced in diameter to correspond to that of the rebated ends of the end caps of said units whereby a standardised mounting bracket may rotatably receive the said reduced diameter sheave boss or said end cap.

Therefore according to another aspect of this invention a mounting bracket may comprise a plastics moulding of T- or L-section and having a centrally disposed hookshaped web merging the inner faces of the flanges of the T or L, the opening of the hook-web having a flared mouth to permit forced entry therein of one of the above mentioned sheave bosses or the rebated end of one of said unit end caps.

Both of the L-related flanges of the bracket may be apertured to receive attachment screws for top or back mounting of the bracket and the under face of the upper flange of the bracket may be formed with undercut ribs or grooves to receive the mounting member of a pelrnet or fascia strip. .Alternatively, such grooves may be formed on opposite faces of said hook-web.

In :order to hold the blind in any nominated raised position, it is necessary to embody some form of locking 'device and this may be achieved, according toa still further aspect of the invention by providing on the sheave boss, adjacent the mounting bracket therefor, a rocker V vention, the aforesaid primaryv aspect thereof, 'and also plate having its lower end laterally offset towards, the

sheave, said offset being apertured for the, passage therethrough of the endless sheave-actuating cord. 'Said rock et plate is also laterally offset in the opposite'senseat -a higher level to provide a stop adapted to abut the free endof the bracket hook thereby to maintain the lower end of the rocker plate, in ajforward position so that the dangling endless cord will hang forwardly'of, the array of blind slats. p

The last mentioned offset on the rocker plateis also extended upwardly, in the plane of hanger bracket book, 7

and provided with a nose or beak adapted to engage frictionally between the boss of the sheave and the fiared upper mouth portion of the hanger bracket hook so'that,

after raising (or lowering) thexblind to a selected raised position, a forward movement of. the endless. sheave-cord end, the vertical side edges of a box-section bottom bar are slotted at each ladder-tape/cord station and, within the hollow bottom bar at each side station, there is provided an anchor device constituted of springwire bent into a somewhat W-formation so that, when a flat section tapes and/tor thelift cords in a bottom bar and, to that key or cam is inserted between the inner limbsof the W Y and rotated, the outer limbs of the W .will emerge through tape ends are then disposed between the said outer limbs of the W.-spring andthe bottom bar side walls, said limbs will hook said ends through the associated slots when the key orcam is rotated further to permit restoration of the limbs of the W-spring to their normallyfcont'racted condition. The said W-spring may also embody means, for

' anchoring the lower end of a lift cordpassed through an aperture in the upper face of said bottom bar.

Alternatively, at each ladder-tape/cordstation, an .apervertical side edge of the bar to a Width in excess of. the width of a tape and rolling the severed sheet-like material downwardly and inwardly so that it forms a substantially cylindrical anchoring member immediately inside the lower edge of said aperture. An ar cuate clamp, slightly narrower than said apertureyis adapted to removably Y rigidly engage said-barby virtue of dependingspring loaded fingers capable of coacting, by a snapping action,

with said anchoring membenupon the insertion of said fingers within-said aperture, whereupon the remote end- 'of saidclamp is'drawn firmly: into a flush position of the side wall slots of the bottom bar and, if the ladder.

anotherimportant aspect thereof, w-ill now be described by way of example, reference being, made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is 'a longitudinal section, with fragmentary portions shown in elevation,"of a unitary tiltcontrol and slat raising-and-lowering mechanism'for a Venetianblind,

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken online 2--2 of "FIG. 1, 1

FIGJJ 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1, i v

'FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional elevation of the tape drum and cord spool elements in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is an endelevation (partly in section) of FIG.

' 4, viewed from the plane marked 5+5 on the latter,

I :FIGJ6 isa transverse section taken on line 66 in FI -4-.

FIG.'7 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG, '5' identified by referencecharacter 7',

FIG/8 is an end elevation ofFIG. I, viewed from the plane n arked 8 8 in'the latter, I FIG. 9 is an end-elevation (partly in section) of actuating mechanism in FIG. 1, when viewed from the plane marked 99 in the latter,

FIGS. 10 and' ll are respectively side elevationaland plan views of a pelmet support accessory, vReferring first to the aforesaid primary aspect illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 9 of those drawings, a head assembly for a Venetian blind andincluding a unitaryslat tilt and raising-and-lowering mechanism. includes a' tape drum 20, a cord spool'21 and a cylindrical mounting spindle 22 therefor, said spindle being formed With a longitudinal" flat 23 extending from end-to-end thereof.

Cord spool 21 is formed interiorly, with an axial bore 24.of corresponding cross section to that of spindle 22 so that the former mayslide on the latter without relative rotation. Exteriorly, cord spool 21 is formed with screw threads 25 for engagement with. corresponding threads 26 formed within one half of tape drum 2 0, preferred configurations for both of said threads being depicted by FIG. 7. i

The tape drum 20 is centrally: disposed between a pair of end caps 26 and 27, one of which is non- ,ture is formed in said box-section bottombar by cut-ting away a portion'of' the upper surface and a'p'ortion 10f a rotatably mounted on each end of'spindle 22 by means of an interior socket" 28 having a corresponding cross sectional shape tothat of spindle 22. a g

, Theopposite upper ends of a front ladder tape runner 29. and a rear ladder tape'runner 30 are secured to tape drum 20 bymeans of a wire clip comprising a sinuous C-ring '31 disposed infrictional' relation between; the

' inner end'of end cap 27 andthe associated rebated end -of'tape, drum 20, said C ring being formed with terminallyioffset ends 32 adapted .toIie in approximately a diametrically opposite longitudinally disposed recesses 33 'insaid tape drum and about which said tape ends may be wrapped or folded, the latter being clearly shown in .FIGS.4;'aI1d.6.1j 1 r Y i The thread convolutions 25 on COId'SPQOl 21 extend from one end to the other thereof while the threads 26,

within tape drum 20, extend from one endvthereof to a medial position thereon and which is defined by a circumferential slit 34' for passing a slat-lift 'cord 35 to and -fromsaid cord spool 21'. .Cord 35 is attached to that rest upon the upper surface of said bar,,thus causing the end of a tape, which has previously been inserted within said ,apertureto the required depth, to be; gripped against said anchoringm'ember and thusfheld relatively to said bar. This'flatter arrangement. may also embody means for anchoring the lower end-of a lift cord passed through a hole or slot. inithe upper surface ofsaid bottom bar,

and preferably through a corresponding slot in said arcuate clamp. To this end the cord may be prQVidedwith a firmly attached coaxial ferrule or the like which'is just too large; to pass through any said slot.

For a morelcomplete understanding of the subject 'inend of cord spool 21YWhich is' remote from-the threaded portion of tape drum -20, and at least the upper end of said cord always lies within and betweenthe convolu- :tions of thread 25. In other'words, the cord 35, during rotation of cord spool '21, in onexdir'ection ;to raise the blind slats, 'Wilbe progressivelywound between'th'e thread convolutions on spool 21 as they leave the threads in tape drum 20 and, conversely, during rotation .of cord spool 21, in the opposite direction to'lower said slats cord .35will vacate convolutions of screw thread on spool 21 as they are screwed into the threads 26 within tape A substantially semi-cylindrical cover 36, extending for an angular distance slightly exceeding 180, may be clipped onto the rebated end of adjacent end cap 27 to cover the upper portion of tape drum and exclude dust and fluff therefrom.

One of the unitary assemblies, as described above, should be associated with each lift-cord station of a Venetian blind and, further according to the invention, adjacent units are coupled together by means of a length of lock-seam tube 37 having a smooth outer surface and the lock-seam disposed interiorly thereof, thereby to provide a key or spline 38 for engaging a complementary groove 39 formed in each of the end caps 26 and 27.

As previously stated herein, initial rotation of a, or each, cord spool will tilt the blind slats to closed position (if they are not already in that position) and continued rotation of the spool or spools will effect raising or lowering of said slats, according to the direction of said rotation.

Therefore, rotation of the cord spool or spools may be effected by means of a reversible electric motor coupled to the outermost end cap 26 or 27 of a series of said unitary assemblies or such rotation may be achieved manually by means of an endless cord 40 passing over a sheave 41 having a tapered cord groove 42 and, also according to the invention, a unit rotating sheave may conveniently be coupled to one of said unitary assemblies by a further lock-seam tube 37 of which the lock-seam 38, at one end thereof, engages in a groove 39 in end cap 26 while the opposite end of said lock-seam engages in a similar groove 39 in tubular boss 43 of sheave 41. From the drawings, it will be evident that end caps 26 and 27 and also the boss 43 of sheave 41 are adapted snugly to fit within associated ends of tubes 37.

The normally outer end 44 of sheave boss 43 is reduced in diameter, to correspond with the diameter of the rebated inner ends 45 of end caps 26 and 27, so that a standardised mounting bracket 46 may constitute end and intermediate bearings for rotatably mounting a complete series of unitary assemblies and also a drive sheave therefor.

A suitable mounting bracket 46 comprises a T-section moulding having a centrally disposed hook shaped web 47 (the leg of the T) merging the inner faces of the horizontal and vertical heads 48 and 49 of the T when viewed in vertical or horizontal section i.e. the heads of the T-sections of a bracket form an inverted L when viewed in side elevation.

The opening or mouth of the hook web 47 is flared to permit forced entry into said hook of a sheave boss 44 or the rebated end 45 of an end cap 26 or 27 and both flanges of bracket 46 may be apertured as at 50 to receive anchorage screws (not illustrated) for top or back mounting of the bracket on a window frame or the like.

Moreover, the web hook 47 may be provided below and spaced from the horizontal head 48 with oppositely positioned ribs 51 whereby to provide a groove on each side of the web for the reception of a forked pelmet mounting slide 52 of the type illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11.

In order to hold the blind in any required raised position, a locking device comprising a rocker plate 53 having a laterally offset portion 54 may be mounted on the outward extension 44 of boss 43 of sheave 41 and between the hook web 47 and an outer shoulder 55 on the sheave boss.

The upper end of lateral offset 54 is formed with a beak or nose 56 adapted, when the lift cord 40 is pulled outwardly, to jamb said beak bet-ween sheave boss 44 and the upper lip 57 of hook web 47. Downward pull on cord 40 will operate automatically to release the jamb just referred to and, to enable cord 4!) to rock plate 53 about the axis of rotation of sheave 41, the two separate runs of said cord are passed through spaced apertures 58 in the lowermost portion 59 of rocker plate 53 and which is laterally offset in the opposite direction to offset 54.

The lower offset end 59 or rocker plate 53 is normally held in the illustrated forward position in relation to the axis of rotation of the subject assembly consequent upon abutment of the lower rear face 60 of plate 53 against the outer face of the lower lip 61 of hook web 47.

Partial rotation of tape drum 20 for the purpose of slat tilting may be positively limited by providing a laterally extending pin or abutment lug 62 on the end of tape drum 26, said pin or abutment lug being adapted, at opposite ends of extremities of angular movement of said drum to contact and stop against corresponding ends of an arcuate recess 63 formed in the hook web 47 of an adjacent mounting bracket 46.

I claim:

1. A unitary tilt control and slat raising-and-lowering mechanism for a Venetian blind, comprising a mounting spindle, an exteriorly screw-threaded cord spool slidably mounted on said spindle, means for preventing relative rotation between said spindle and said spool, an interiorly screw-threaded tilting drum supported by and coaxial with said cord spool and being in screw-threaded engagement with the latter, the screw thread of said tilting drum extending from one end thereof to a medial position thereon, a cord slot being formed in the wall of said tilting drum at a non-threaded portion thereof, and means for rotating said cord spool within said tilting drum, the screw-threaded cord spool being in screw-threaded engagement with an end cap, said end cap being rotatably supported by a mounting bracket, stop means being provided on said bracket and the tilting drum for limiting the angular movement of the tilting drum.

2. A unitary tilt control and slat raising-and-lowering mechanism for a Venetian blind, comprising a mounting spindle, an exteriorly screw-threaded cord spool slidably mounted on said spindle, said cord spool being in screwthreaded engagement with a first interiorly screwdhreaded end cap, means for preventing relative rotation between said spindle and said cord spool, an interiorly screwthreaded tilting drum supported by and co-axial with said cord spool and being in screw-threaded engagement with the latter, the screw thread of said tilting drum extending from one end thereof to a medial position thereon, a cord slot being formed in the wall of said tilting drum at a non-threaded portion thereof and means for rotating said cord spool within said tilting drum, the screw-threaded cord spool being in screw-threaded engagement with an end cap, said end cap being rotatably supported by a mounting bracket, stop means being provided on said bracket and the tilting drum for limiting the angular movement of the tilting drum.

3. A unitary tilt control and slat raising-and-lowering mechanism for a Venetian blind, comprising a mounting spindle, an exteriorly screw-threaded cord spool slidably mounted on said spindle, said cord spool being in screwthreaded engagement with a first interiorly screw-threaded end cap, means for preventing relative rotation between said spindle and saidcord spool, an interiorly screwthreaded tilting drum supported by and co-axial with said cord spool and being in screw-threaded engagement with the latter, the screw thread of said tilting drum extending from one end thereof to a medial position thereon, a cord slot being formed in the wall of said tilting drum at a non-threaded portion thereof and means for rotating said cord spool within said tilting drum, the screw-threaded cord spool being in screw-threaded engagement with an end cap, said end cap being rotatably supported by a mounting bracket, stop means being provided on said bracket and the tilting drum for limiting the angular movement of the tilting drum, frictional means being disposed between the tilting drum and a second end cap non-rotatably carried by the mounting spindle.

. A unitary tilt controlrandslatfraising-and lowering mechanism for 'a Venetianblind, comprising a mounting spindle, an exteriorly screw-threaded 'cord spoolislidably mounted on said spindle, said ord'spool beingiri'scirewl threaded engagement with a first interiorlyscrew-threaded end cap, means for preventingrelative rotation between said spindle and said cord spool, Van 'interiorlyscrew threaded tilting drum supported byjandco-axial with fsaid cordspool and being in screw-threaded engagement with 'the latter, the'scr'ew thread, of saidtiltin g drum extending from one end thereof to a medial position thereon, a cord slot beingaform'ed inthehwall of said tilting drum at a non-threaded portion thereof'and means for rotating said'cord spool Within saidiitilting drum, the" screw-threaded cord spool being in screw-threaded en-- gagement with an endfcap, said end 'cap being rotatably supported by a mounting bracket, stop means being provided on said bracket and the tilting drum for'limiting the angular movement of the 'tilting' drum, frictional meansbeing disposed between the tilting drum and, second end cap non-rotatably carried by the mounting spindle, said functionalmeans comprising'a sinuous O- ring' formedvvith ofiset'endsadapted to be accommodated by "diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves formed in the tiltingidrum, said offset ends of saidgO-ring additionvally function as anchorages for the respective ends of ladder. tape'runnersz; i

" "giteferen cescited theExaniiner LUNITED STATES PATENTS 2 HARRISO 'R.: MOSELEY, Primar Eataminer. 

1. A UNITARY TILT CONTROL AND SLAT RAISING-AND-LOWERING MECHANISM FOR A VENETIAN BLIND, COMPRISING A MOUNTING SPINDLE, AN EXTERIORLY SCREW-THREADED CORD SPOOL SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SPINDLE, MEANS FOR PREVENTING RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID SPINDLE AND SAID SPOOL, AN INTERIORLY SCREW-THREADED TILTING DRUM SUPPORTED BY AND CO-AXIAL WITH SAID CORD SPOOL AND BEING IN SCREW-THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LATTER, THE SCREW THREAD OF SAID TILTING DRUM EXTENDING FROM ONE END THEREOF TO A MEDIAL POSITION THEREON, A CORD SLOT BEING FORMED IN THE WALL OF SAID TILTING DRUM AT A NON-THREADED PORTION THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CORD SPOOL WITHIN SAID TILTING DRUM, THE SCREW-THREADED CORD SPOOL BEING IN SCREW-THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH AN END CAP, SAID END CAP BEING ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY A MOUNTING BRACKET, STOP MEANS BEING PROVIDED ON SAID BRACKET AND THE TILTING DRUM FOR LIMITING THE ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF THE TILTING DRUM. 